[Mtnman Mike]

We are leaning towards the US Stove brand . My concern is that we may not be able to cook on the unit. Also assuming electricity goes down, how do I keep the blower going without a generator ?

When I saw you wrote that you are leaning toward the US Stove I thought that is what I have and my best newest wood stove. But I suppose you are going to the almost $1,700 one? Mine cost me $300 four years ago and I see they are going up. Mine is Not 2020 compliant and I made it even less compliant by removing the white fiber glass filter in the top when I was putting it together.

I don't need to be compliant since my place is very remote and I just need a good wood stove which it is strong and cast iron.
I also burn pine and fir which burns fast and hot. I cook, mainly boiling water which is one of the main ways I cook. Here is a pic of mine which is larger than it appears in this pic. I don't have a blower either. I may get another one or an Earth stove which is very large and burns a lot of firewood which is what I need to do with my over abundance of dead wood. I think my US stove is a great stove for heating and simple cooking >

 

[John Galt 1]

We put a Great wood stove in our new house. The stove is a heritage model built by Hearthstone. What I like best is the stove body is built from soap stone which absorbes heat and remains hot to the touch 6-8 hours after the fire burns out. We also purchased an insulated floor plate, the heat shield and blower on the back, and we paid the stove dealer to install the stove and pipe.
. View attachment 355099

When I replace our huge old Valmort woodstove a few years ago I also went with a Hearthstone Heritage and agree that in many ways it is a great stove but not for cooking. We pulled our flue out of the back to make flue cleaning easier which means we have a heavy iron plate on the top of the stove where the top flue hole is (these stoves allow you to set up the flue either way.. But while you could cook on it because of the fiberboard on top of the firebox even with the iron plate that looks like a nice cooking surface it rarely gets above 375 degrees.

 

[Mtnman Mike]

Also assuming electricity goes down, how do I keep the blower going without a generator ?

Here is the main item I have seen a neighbor with a cabin almost a mile away but he has used this for 20 years and it seems to work in distributing the heat from a wood stove. This takes no electricity, simply sits on top of the stove and the following with a photo tells much more from this link > https://www.amazon.com/PYBBO-Improv...t=&hvlocphy=9029280&hvtargid=pla-844529193522

I think Walmart and some other stores also sell these. And no more than $54

• No batteries or mains electricity required, the moelectric module acts as a small generator to power the fan's motor. The fan base and blade are made from anodized aluminum which is rust-proof, wear-resisting, with good thermal conductivity
• Silent operation, spread heat around room and increase temperature with low noise, improve warm air circulation results in greater comfort and reduce wood consumption from your stove.

 

[John Galt 1]

As for a stove fan I've been using thermoelectric stove fans on top of my stoves for 35 years. They require no electricity instead running using electricity produced by a thermocouple that uses the heat from the wood stove to create the power. There are many different models on Amazon but EcoFan has made a good one for over 35 years.

 

[John Galt 1]

As for a stove fan I've been using thermoelectric stove fans on top of my stoves for 35 years. They require no electricity instead running using electricity produced by a thermocouple that uses the heat from the wood stove to create the power. There are many different models on Amazon but EcoFan has made a good one for over 35 years. They cost between $50 and $90.

 

[edprof]

Our insert is Lopi brand, named for an Indian tribe. It really heats. We appreciate it during long cold spells like this one.

 

[Full Moon]

A buddy told me about a fan that runs off heat. Good for when power goes out to use at a wood stove. I never knew what he was talking about, but must be the fans Mtnman and John G are referring to. My bud called them Amish Fans...so maybe something different. Not sure.

I have a small insert, and without the blower it would put out some decent heat and hopefully keep the place above freezing, but would definitely lose quite a bit, especially in the extremities of the house.

When we put in the gas and wood inserts, I told our insurance company and all they said was "ok" and they didn't care. I was surprised.

 

[John Galt 1]

A buddy told me about a fan that runs off heat. Good for when power goes out to use at a wood stove. I never knew what he was talking about, but must be the fans Mtnman and John G are referring to. My bud called them Amish Fans...so maybe something different. Not sure.

A few years ago I ran a little experiment. I hung a thermometer half way down a hall about 25' from the woodstove. and a thermometer in the living room 10' from the wood stove and over a few weeks measured the difference in tempature between the livingroom and hall. Some days I'd have the EcoFan on the woodstove, other days I pulled the EcoFan off the stove.

I found that the EcoFan raised the tempature in the hall 25' away by 6 degrees. Not a huge difference, these little fans don't move that much air but still a significant increase in comfort in the house. For us this is important because the master bedroom is at the end of that hall and we prefer to not use the woodstove in the master bedroom unless the outdoor tempature gets below 15 degrees because the Elm Stove (look it up) in the master bedroom can easily overheat the room.

 

[gtojohn1965]

Our civil war era family homestead has a Franklin stove. The flue runs horizontally across the kitchen ceiling the horizontal run definitely radiates more heat. Usual code and practice the flue vertical rise must be more than the horizontally run.

 

[wellbuilt]

Ya that’s what I started with I can’t believe we did not burn the house down .
Our stove sat in the corner of the dining room.
and up till thanks giving the dining room table was in the center of the room under the lamp .
As soon as desert was over the table slid to one side and the smoke dragon came out .
The pipe went up about 7’ high and then it shot thru a hole in the wall down the hall way and then up to the second floor and thru 2 bed rooms and into the chimney above the dining room and out .
There must of been 50 or 60 feet of pipe it was a old house there was a well in the garage next to the kitchen and a second well underthe kitchen cabinets with a hand pump
In the bacement there was a concrete cistern and the roof leaders ran into the foundation .
I have not thought of the old house in a long time .

 

[Mtnman Mike]

A buddy told me about a fan that runs off heat. Good for when power goes out to use at a wood stove. I never knew what he was talking about, but must be the fans Mtnman and John G are referring to. My bud called them Amish Fans...so maybe something different. Not sure.

Probably called Amish fans since they are non electric fans or actually produce their own electricity. Simply place it on top of a wood stove. Here is a description and a pic of what I am referring to as a non electric stove fan or eco fan > " The little motor in the fan is a thermoelectric motor – a really simple device whereby two semi-conductors at different temperatures can create a voltage between them. This electricity isn't huge, but it is just enough to drive the blades of the fan around.
These fans generate their own electricity using the heat from a stove. The temperature difference between the bottom and top of the base causes the peltier cooler to produce low voltage electricity. ... This powers the electric fan which blows warm air around the room.

A link showing more pics and info on these non electric fans >
non electric stove fan at DuckDuckGo

 

[~Black.Dog~]

Probably called Amish fans since they are non electric fans or actually produce their own electricity. Simply place it on top of a wood stove. Here is a description and a pic of what I am referring to as a non electric stove fan or eco fan > " The little motor in the fan is a thermoelectric motor – a really simple device whereby two semi-conductors at different temperatures can create a voltage between them. This electricity isn't huge, but it is just enough to drive the blades of the fan around.
These fans generate their own electricity using the heat from a stove. The temperature difference between the bottom and top of the base causes the peltier cooler to produce low voltage electricity. ... This powers the electric fan which blows warm air around the room.

A link showing more pics and info on these non electric fans >
non electric stove fan at DuckDuckGo

View attachment 355203

As mentioned above,, those little fans do make a noticeable difference. After a good bit of use they may stop working. If that happens, don't toss it. It is not broken. It just needs the thermal paste replaced. I guess it kind of dries out.
Take it apart, scrape any of the old paste off and put new paste in. Good as new. You can also use toothpaste. It won't work as well and will dry out after a fire or two.

I ran out of thermal paste for mine. I keep forgetting to order more. It is pricey stuff.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[arleigh]

Other than a dog leg configuration of my stove pipe, I also use an electric fan below the stove to push the cold air on the floor against the stove and it heats up the room very fast. I also have one of those heat-powered fans as well on top of the stove.

 

[Brettny]

IMO,
If you want to get the most out of your wood stove configure the stovepipe in a dog-leg so there is some horizontal in the path. more of the heat will be dissipated in the lower portion of the pipe rather than all going up the pipe as with strait pipe configuration. I secure my stove pipe using sheet metal screws, and since I don't change the configuration it is easy to dismntle and reassemble for cleaning.
Hardwoods do not usually require the pipe to be cleaned as much as softer woods because they burn hotter and more thoroughly.
Though the stove may have a damper, I put one about 18" -24" in the stovepipe just above the stove, It gives me more control.
I take my little cookstove everywhere I"ve moved to, and even in this 3 bedroom house it maintains 60 or better in freezing temperatures outside. The firebox in it is 7"X7"X16". I cut 20" biscuits to roughly 12" long and maybe burn equivalent to 2 biscuits from 6; PM till 12; PM or when I go to bed, sometimes more sometimes less depending on the wood.

By putting two 90* bends in the pipe to make a horizontal section your cooling the smoke and allowing creosote to build. This is what causes chimney fires.
Go vertical. No draft issues, no bends to clean and less creosote. It's also cheaper. If you want to get more heat out of the same stove put an outside air kit on it or insulate better.

 

[Mtnman Mike]

My concern is that we may not be able to cook on the unit.

Just saw this and I would like to get an old wood cook stove like my grandmas had 70 plus years ago but the new ones today are $2000 and much more. Here is a photo I just found on Facebook, of a lady cooking - with a flashlight - on her wood stove in central Texas a day or two ago And I just noticed she has a non electric eco fan to the left of the stovepipe >

 

[petergunn]

Don’t go cheap on the stove, my Vermont Castings Defiant cost me a week’s wages when I bought it in 79 and still using today.

Cast iron stove with brick hearth and chimney and all I do is feed and clean.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brettny]

That lady looks well prepared Mike.

I also have a Vermont castings defiant Peter. I have the model with a cat. It's been our primary heat for about 6yrs. It's running right now (while I'm at work) and has been running non stop since late october.

 

[Mtnman Mike]

That lady looks well prepared Mike.

I saw that lady post in an off grid survival Facebook group. Many off grid, survival, outdoors groups on Facebook and many joining those groups every day. Which is good but not sure if many are actually Doing survival or just reading and dreaming about doing someday.

That Texas lady posted that she also has chickens, goats, a large garden, solar power etc etc and is off grid more than most. Maybe more and more will also go off grid or at Least know how to not freeze or starve or obtain water where ever they are.

 

[JLW1974]

As mentioned above,, those little fans do make a noticeable difference. After a good bit of use they may stop working. If that happens, don't toss it. It is not broken. It just needs the thermal paste replaced. I guess it kind of dries out.
Take it apart, scrape any of the old paste off and put new paste in. Good as new. You can also use toothpaste. It won't work as well and will dry out after a fire or two.

I ran out of thermal paste for mine. I keep forgetting to order more. It is pricey stuff.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

is that thermal paste the same stuff they use on the heat sink/fan on top of the cpu core in computers?

 

[CapitalKane49p]

While we are on the topic of woodstove porn. I found this.

Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTz8EmLnnFq7wpUmzrYRkIQ

Godspeed